Revisiting Rudolph: Santa could have used some sensitivity training

This week the Rankin and Bass classic animated Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ran on TV, and Andy and I decided to take a walk down memory lane by revisiting this childhood classic.

So imagine my alarm when I realized early on the ugly truth: Santa was a patriarchal jerk!

Seriously, I was appalled at the insensitivity of the old lout, particularly to the troubles of our shiny-nosed hero, whose story is one with which many gay folks can readily identify. Different at birth? Check. Ashamed parents who encourage the child to hide what makes them different? Seen it. Ridicule, alienation, and banishment? Yep.

Rudolph winds up splitting town with a rather effeminate elf who wants to be a dentist and the two are coached into actualization by a rough-and-tumble naturalist who looks like he just fell out of a vintage Mandate magazine. I know, right? Who hasn't been there?

Ultimately Santa (who spends the whole story complaining, making fun of Rudolph, and criticizing the tyke's parents for daring to have such a freak of a child) only accepts Rudolph when he realizes that he can exploit him for his own purposes. Sound familiar? I bet in the sequel Rudolph was demoted to picking out throw pillows and helping Santa with his hair.

Anyway, Andy found on the YouTubes that others had noticed how big of an ass Santa is in the show, including one creative type who cut together a megamix of all his offenses. Check it out!